Too much greeting at Mass?

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A few weeks ago, we started the practice at the beginning of Mass of introducing ourself to the people sitting near us. So there’s a lot of chatter and laughter going on. Then we also do the handshake of peace. It seems excessive to me. Does anyone else out there do this at Mass and what part of the country do you live in? I’m in Iowa, the Des Moines diocese.
 
In our Parish we do only the sign of peace, but there are some who come into the church and talk and laugh and gab it up. It is very distracting to those of us who use this time before Mass to say the rosary, pray, meditate. That is why they serve coffee and donuts in the parish hall afterwards for socializing, some just choose to do it throughout. So i can say I would not like that greeting that you are describing.
 
No. We don’t do that at my Church but there is a Church close to my house that I attend once in a while that used to have a Priest who did that. I never cared for it. I don’t know what the point of doing that is.
 
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theresa:
A few weeks ago, we started the practice at the beginning of Mass of introducing ourself to the people sitting near us. So there’s a lot of chatter and laughter going on. Then we also do the handshake of peace. It seems excessive to me. Does anyone else out there do this at Mass and what part of the country do you live in? I’m in Iowa, the Des Moines diocese.
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I’m in Detroit and believe that Fellowship should be after Holy Mass.
 
Our parish asks people to greet people around you before the processional entrance–probably to discourage people from visiting so much during the Sign of Peace–but you still see some people running all over the place trying to greet their friends during the Sign of Peace anyway. 😦 I wish there would just be a sign posted that says, Stay in Place During the Sign of Peace and Keep IT BRIEF. What a curmudgeon I am and only 33! 🙂
 
Thankfully, we don’t do this in my parish. It’s bad enough we’re stuck with all the glad-handing before the Agnus Dei.

I also think that the after-Mass coffee and donut session is a much better time for that. That being said, I am generally in the choir loft for Mass, and it would be sort of silly for us to introduce ourselves to each other – we know each other already – you know, all those hours spent rehearsing together! 😃
 
We have greeters before Mass who hand us the parish bulletin (cuz goodness knows, we need to rattle it all through Mass and wouldn’t be able to locate it if it wasn’t handed to us on the way in! 😉 )

Then, we have the usual hullaballew during the Sign of Peace.

At the close of Mass – nearly every Mass – we are asked by our priest to applaud some particular individual or group. :o

So, Mass in my parish is kinda like:
:tiphat: 👋:bowdown: :clapping:
Of course, I think some folks forget the :bowdown: part. :o
 
The priest is torturing all those folks :whistle:who detest being told to comply with whatever annoying group bonding activity is currently in vogue.

I prefer to be silent before mass while in church, and do any talking either before or after, and not in front of the tabernacle, but outside, maybe in the foyer.

And, no, I am not a sociopath. I know lots of folks at my parish and love gabbing with them, just not during mass.
 
Panis Angelicas:
We have greeters before Mass who hand us the parish bulletin (cuz goodness knows, we need to rattle it all through Mass and wouldn’t be able to locate it if it wasn’t handed to us on the way in! 😉 )
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LOL, we have greeters who hand out the songbooks, but not the bulletins – our pastor wants everyone to pay attention during Mass, and not read the bulletin. 😃 (Yep, we have to pick it up on our way out).
 
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CarolAnnSFO:
LOL, we have greeters who hand out the songbooks, but not the bulletins – our pastor wants everyone to pay attention during Mass, and not read the bulletin. 😃 (Yep, we have to pick it up on our way out).
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Hey, you must be from our parish. But I always snag a bulletin beforehand anyway (I have a secret pact with one of the ushers). It does have some use for praying both before and after mass, so I like to have it, so here you see I am quite defiant. Also, I go out the exit that often has had no bulletins by the door, so I am trained to get one before mass.

And, no!, I don’t use it during mass.😃
 
I have experienced this in the past, and it is far too excessive. Fortunately, at the parish where this once occurred, a new priest has ended the practice. Socializing should take place in the parish hall or narthex after Mass.

Arriving for the Sacrifice of the Holy Mass we should be humble and focused. Leaving Mass we should be joyful and grateful.
 
I find the practice of introducing yourself to the ones nearest to you at Sunday Mass a superficial gesture. I understand what the priest is trying to do. He is trying to make everyone feel welcome, especially the visitors. However, why I find the practice superficial is the fact that unless the congregation has been instructed to do so, as far as I know, no one will spontaneously approach others and just do it on their own.

BTW I live in So. California and the practice at my parish is not consistently done at each Sunday Mass. It depends on the priest. I guess sometimes he forgets. Our pastor is the only one who has never instructed us to do this new form of socializing before Mass.

Unless to reach out to others comes from the heart and is genuine, I think this might be a passing fad.
 
Personally, I go to church a bit early so I can say the rosary or some extra prayers or just to sit and enjoy the feeling of solitude and being in “God’s House”. I think it rude of people to chit chat albeit in a whisper.I have just turned and looked at someone when they do that, and pretty soon they get the message. If they don’t, I have moved to another pew.
Kathy
 
I have to agree… I believe that fellowship should happen after mass (perhaps I’m just selfish?). Due to charity i feel compelled to introduce myself in those parishes that “force” introductions at the beginning of mass… it is not my way, but i figure that if it makes someone else feel like they are doing a “good deed”, or maybe just “connecting” than i will swallow my pride and go along with the flow… Do i feel weirded-out after? Oh yeah! But it is not my call…
 
The original post of this thread said that they START MASS by introducing themselves to one another. That is a new one and is not in the General Instructions that Rome sent to all of us.

The first thing the Priest is to do is to Make the Sign of the Cross blessing the laity. There is a good reason forr that.

That Priest who askes laity to Start the Mass with an introduction of themselves is trying to be “buddy buddys” and he should not. What would a kid think about this. He may think the people are more important than Jesus. That Priest is wrong, wrong and wrong.

I live in South Texas, BTW.
 
I’d rather people greet each other before Mass than spend forever doing that at the sign of peace. I’d also rather people greet each other before Mass then everyone go in and out of there every week and never say a word to another person there. Some people are fine doing that, but others feel like they’re being ignored, and the local Evangelical church, where people visit before and after church- where people actually say hello, or at least smile at the new people there, starts to look really nice.
 
Thanks to all for your (name removed by moderator)ut. I’m going to diplomatically ask my priest whose bright idea this extra greeting time was? So many times we just go along with the whims of liturgists who need to make their positions seem more important by finding things to change about the way we celebrate Mass. I’m getting too old for all the goofiness being foisted on us. Two years ago, our diocese tried to make us stand during the Eucharistic prayer, keep standing through Communion, and stay standing like a bunch of statues until the LAST PERSON had received Communion and returned to their seat!! Our parish priest knew better than to force us to do that stuff, and a few months later the Bishop issued a letter stating that everyone could go back to the old way (kneeling) again. But a few churches in the diocese still have the people standing through this most solemn part of the Mass. How silly this is!! God bless all of you and let’s hang tough together!
 
My parent’s church just started doing that. They didn’t do that when I was living at home. It was wierd. Our parish does not do that. Not that the people aren’t friendly. Usually after Mass you see everyone out infront of the church chatting with eachother and the priests.
 
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m134e5:
I’d rather people greet each other before Mass than spend forever doing that at the sign of peace. I’d also rather people greet each other before Mass then everyone go in and out of there every week and never say a word to another person there. Some people are fine doing that, but others feel like they’re being ignored, and the local Evangelical church, where people visit before and after church- where people actually say hello, or at least smile at the new people there, starts to look really nice.
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Perhaps that’s because people don’t really understand why they’re coming to Mass…It isn’t for fellowship! It is to unite ourselves with Jesus Christ, Who Is truly present in the Most Blessed Sacrament. He Is truly present in the tabernacle when we enter, and He is the First Person I want to greet when I enter on Sunday morning…
I can “fellowship” with my fellow parishoners all week long, the rest of the Sunday afternoon, in the parish school, or about town…but why in Church?
I can understand the Evangelicals…that’s all they have is fellowship.
But we have Jesus Christ, Truly Present! Why must we be forced to ignore him to pay attention to our neighbor at various times of the Mass?
 
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